1990 is a operating partner for founders and funds ready to cut through the noise and execute
MAKE IT HAPPEN
*
MAKE IT HAPPEN *
1990 is a turning-point shop for founders and funds who are done with spin and ready to deal with reality.
We exist for the moment when the story that used to work stops landing. Growth slows, the board is restless, the team is confused, and everyone is still pretending everything is fine. You feel the gap between what's in the deck and what's actually happening – but you don't have someone who will sit next to you and say, clearly, "Here's what this really is."
That's where we come in.
We call things as they are —
and let founders decide what to do next.
What We Do
Founder & Leadership Sparring: Blunt, private working sessions where nothing is off the table. Bring the real questions: team, strategy, runway, investors, co-founder dynamics, product focus, personal bandwidth. We cut through noise, surface real constraints, and turn vague pressure into specific moves.
Narrative & Positioning: Once reality is on the table, you can tell the truth better. We help you define what your company really is, who it's for, and how to explain it in clear language people actually believe. Inside, outside, and to investors – aligned with reality, not fantasy.
Operating Partner Support: We step into the guts of your business for a fixed period. Clarify priorities, build org structure, install meeting rhythms, and support execution. Consistent partnership at the right altitude: close enough to see what's real, far enough to cut through politics.
Board & Portfolio Work: We work with VCs and PE funds who bring us into portfolio companies. For founders: someone in your corner who understands investor expectations but isn't owned by them. For funds: a trusted operator who can see through the smoke and help make corrective moves early.
How We Work
Few Companies Per Quarter: We don't run a big client roster. A handful of companies per quarter, chosen carefully. You get real attention. The work goes deep. If we say yes, it signals something about your seriousness.
Quarter-Based Cycles: Each quarter has a clear entrance, defined focus areas, operating rhythms, and a real exit or renewal decision. This keeps everyone honest and resists the drift that happens when advisors hang around without a clear frame.
In The Room, With You: We join tough leadership meetings, critical investor conversations, and hard reset discussions. We call out dynamics and confusion without shaming people. Every hard truth points at a next move.